Toby Part One: Hero Worship
by Omnitrix 12
Summary: By reader request, the first story ever written in the Toby series. Toby is obsessed with wolves and wolf-dogs. All he wants is to be exactly like his hero, Balto. But how can he manage that if he has none of the right stuff? FINAL CHAPTER POSTED!
1. The Wannabe Wolf

**Because you asked for it, here is part one of the Toby Series.**

**I'll admit up front that this is one of my earlier stories, when I was fairly new to internet fanfiction. And as much as I wish I could have, I never really got around to making that many improvements. Hopefully I can upgrade the later chapters as I post them, but we'll see how it goes.**

* * *

"All right, everyone, settle down. Someone's coming." A female husky named Terry sat by a box full of puppies as several humans approached.

"Look, mommy, puppies!" said a little girl. "Can we have one, please?"

"Sure, Tina. Why don't you pick one?"

Tina picked up one of the puppies. The puppy barked and licked her face, making her laugh. "I'll take this one," she said.

Terry smiled as she watched the family walk away. "I guess our kids are growing up," she said in a voice that was half-happy and half-sad. She nuzzled her mate, a bloodhound named Rex.

"Hmmph," he replied grumpily. Terry wasn't bothered by his apparent gruffness. She knew that Rex's thin coat made the cold uncomfortable for him. He was a police dog who almost never ventured outdoors unless his nose was needed to track down a lost child or an escaped criminal. And whenever he did go outside, he tended to be irritable. But Terry knew that under that gruff exterior, Rex was nothing but a marshmallow at heart. She nuzzled him again and noticed with some satisfaction that his tail had begun to wag just a little.

One by one the pups were taken by eager little boys and girls. Terry's eyes began to mist slightly. She knew Nome was a small enough town that she would be able to keep in touch with her children, but it only seemed yesterday that they had been just tiny, hairless puppies with their eyes and ears still shut. She blinked it off. _It never changes,_ she thought.

She looked into the box and noticed something was wrong. Four puppies had been taken, but five were missing. Then she saw why. A hole had been scratched in the side of the box just big enough for a pup to squeeze out. She didn't have to check to guess who it was. 'Toby,' she thought with an exasperated sigh. "Rex, would you watch them for a minute? I'll be right back."

"What's wrong?" asked Rex.

She all but rolled her eyes. "It seems our little Houdini has disappeared. Again."

Rex stood up. "I'll go find him," he said, but Terry stepped into his path.

"Oh no you don't. You stay here. Ever since you visited the school last week all the children know you. They'll want the pups more if they know their father is a police dog, especially Nome's best tracker. And a good nose won't be necessary for this case. I know exactly where he is." And with that, Terry took off.

Rex groaned. A chance to get up and move around would have suited him just fine. But he knew Terry was right. "The things I do for family," he muttered.

* * *

Terry headed quickly to the lot where Toby liked to play. Sure enough, there he was, standing on a pile of boxes and howling. With his combination of Terry's husky appearance and Rex's dark brown color, one could have actually mistaken him for a wolf cub. But at the moment all Terry noticed was how close he was to the edge, and how unsteady the pile looked. "Toby!" she called. "Get down from there before you get yourself hurt! You're supposed to be _in_ the box, not _on_ it!"

Toby stopped howling and just sat there. "I'm not gonna get hurt," he insisted. "I'm practicing." And he lifted his head and let out another less-than melodious howl.

Terry winced. "Toby, please stop that howling. Humans won't want you if you do that all the time."

"I don't wanna get a human," he said. "I wanna be a wolf-dog like Balto."

She sighed. "I should never have told you about him. Your brothers and sisters can simply enjoy a story, but you always have to try and live it."

"Dad always says stories are supposed to be learned from," Toby pointed out.

Terry shook her head. "Toby, please. You know I just want a good life for you. I lived on the streets for a while once, and it wasn't pretty. I don't want that life for you."

"Your mother is right, son."

Toby and Terry's heads swiveled. "Rex?" asked Terry. "You said you'd watch the kids."

"They've all found homes," he said. "All except Toby." He looked up at his son. "Son, your mother is right. I've seen what life on the streets does to a dog. And it's not good."

"I don't want to live on the streets either," Toby countered. "I just wanna stay with mom until I'm old enough to handle myself. Then I'll find a spot somewhere on the edge of town, just like Balto and his boat."

Rex scowled. "Toby, I've told you before, you should be a tracker like me. It's a good job, you'll be helping people who really need it, and besides, you're practically made for the job. You've got the best nose out of all your brothers and sisters."

Toby shook his head. "I don't want some hand-me-down legacy. I don't want to have my whole life handed to me. That's how Steele had it and look where _he_ ended up."

"Alright," Terry said before Rex could burst out about Toby's calling tracking a "hand-me-down legacy." "If you want to stay with me, I'll make you a deal. I'll let you stay longer if you promise me that if you find a home you're happy with, you will stay there."

Toby jumped down off the boxes. 'Like that's ever gonna happen,' he thought. "Okay," he said. "It's a deal."

"Now let's go home," said Terry. "It's getting dark."

Rex shook himself. "And I'm guessing there's a storm coming. I can smell it."

Toby didn't want to admit it, but he smelled something in the air too. 'Ah, who cares?' he thought. 'I'll bet Balto can smell storms too. I'll bet he smelled this one a month ago.'

* * *

Later that night, Terry got up. She went over to the police chief's house and slipped through the dog door. She walked through the house, looking for Rex. "What kept you?" came a playful voice from behind her.

She spun around. "Rex!" she breathed. "You scared me."

Rex chuckled. "Oh, come on. I know I'm not the best-looking dog in Nome, but-"

Terry laughed. "No, no. I mean, you startled me." She walked up to him and they touched noses. "How did you know I'd be coming here at this hour?"

"Because I know you," he said simply. "And because I'm worried about Toby too." He led her over by the fire so she could warm up while they were talking.

"Rex, when will he come to his senses?"

He looked her in the eyes. "Sweetheart, I'm not really sure he hasn't. He's right about one thing: having everything hand-fed to you is no way to live."

"Rex! Don't you want a good life for him?"

"Absolutely. But in the meantime, a little challenge will be good for him. When the time comes, he'll find his place."

Terry's ears slid down. "But what if he doesn't?"

"Then his place will find him. We just have to make sure he gets by until then and doesn't get into trouble."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Absolutely. Kids have a way of rising to the occasion, especially when they get the right help. You should know that by now." He walked her to the door. "Now, you'd best get home before he wakes up and decides to get into mischief."

* * *

Unfortunately, not everyone in Toby's family agreed with Rex. The next day Toby had a run-in with his half-brother Pete. Pete's father had been a husky like Terry, but had died when he tripped pulling a sled in a race. Pete had been bitter ever since, and when Terry met Rex it had gotten even worse. When his half-siblings arrived, Pete had been scornful of them all. But Toby was the one he hated most. And today was no exception. "So what's up, runt?" he asked in greeting. "Did you get a home yesterday?"

"Nope," said Toby cheerfully.

"Aww, that's too bad," Pete said in a voice generally used for talking to infants. "But I guess nobody wants a runty mutt like you."

"I escaped. I decided I wanna grow up just like Balto."

"Heh," sneered Pete. "That old half-breed? Why don't you start by sticking your head in a garbage can?"

"'Cause then I'd have to room with you," answered Toby. "You'll see. Someday you'll see that it doesn't take a purebred to be somebody."

"Ha! We'll see," sneered Pete, walking away.

* * *

**I think that's as good a place to stop as any.**


	2. Friends can be Hazardous to your Health

Later while he was playing in the lot, Toby heard a sound on the other side of the boxes. It sounded like a cat, but he imagined that it was Steele, Balto's arch-enemy. He crept up to the corner and listened, not wanting to give away his location by sticking his nose into view. In his mind's eye he could see the evil dog on the other side of the crate, skulking like a predator about to pounce on a helpless victim. And only he, Balto, could defeat him and save the day. With a surge of speed, Toby shot around the corner, barreling straight toward his despicable foe. But instead of catching it and knocking it to the ground, he and it smacked heads.

"Ow!" protested his victim. "What do you think I am, goat?"

Toby realized that he hadn't been stalking a cat. And neither, of course, had he been stalking Steele. Instead, he had crashed straight into a girl pup about his age. She looked like a mix of chow and husky with a little malamute thrown in. "Sorry," he said, shaking his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears. "I thought you were Steele."

The girl looked at him as if he had completely lost his mind. "Steele? What would give you a crazy idea like that?"

Toby shrugged. "My imagination runs away with me sometimes," he admitted.

"Well next time, tell it to slow down," the girl retorted, rubbing the top of her head. She stared at him. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Toby," he answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm Luna."

Toby smiled brightly. "Wanna play with me, Luna?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Promise not to use me to practice your mountain goat impression?"

He rolled his eyes and promised. "You wanna play Balto?" he asked.

"Is that what you were playing when you whacked me on the head?" she asked.

"Will you drop that already?" Toby was getting frustrated. "You don't have to be a bad guy- er, girl. You could play…"

_'Oh, great,'_ thought Luna. _'Anything but Jenna.'_ "Could I be Aleu?" she asked quickly. "You know, the daughter Balto had who looked even more like a wolf-"

"Yeah, I know about her. Okay, you run off and hide like you've run away, and I'll try to find you."

* * *

Toby and Luna became fast friends, and they met to play every chance they got. One day they were playing in the lot. Luna was pretending to be in a canyon cornered by wolverines, and Toby was Balto, ready to jump in and save the day. But when he tried to jump, his toenail caught in a chink between two boards, dislodging the pile of crates he'd been standing on. He fell helplessly through the air, followed by about twenty boxes and crates. He landed with a thud, and the entire pile came crashing down around him. Luna had just enough time to scream before she too was buried by the falling cargo.

Toby was lucky. Most of the boxes missed him and the ones that didn't were empty. He crawled out from under the pile and shook himself. "Luna?" he called out. There was no reply. "Luna!" he yelled again. 'Oh, man. Please don't tell me I smashed you,' he thought. He ran around and around the pile, calling Luna's name over and over. 'Please, _please_ be okay.'

He put his nose to the ground and started sniffing. Maybe she had been clear of the avalanche and simply hadn't heard him yelling for some reason. His tail started to wag when he picked up her scent, but his hope died instantly when he realized that the trail didn't lead away from the pile, but into it. 'I've gotta do something,' he thought. Finding an opening in the pile, he wriggled through, working his way in deeper and deeper, wherever he could squeeze through a gap.

"Oww," came a quiet whimpering.

"Luna?" Toby hurried towards the sound. Sure enough, there was Luna, half-buried under a crate. "Hang on!" he told her. "I'm getting you out of here!" He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and pulled. Nothing happened except that Luna started to groan with pain.

"Stop," she whined, sounding as if she were barely conscious. "It hurts."

"I'm getting you out of here," he said. He pulled harder and managed to move her an inch. But as soon as he moved her, the boxes began to shift. 'Oh no,' he thought. 'If I keep this up I'll bring the whole pile down on top of us again.' There was only one thing to do: get help. "I'll be back," he promised. "Just hang in there."

Following his nose to fresh air, he ran out of the lot and into the street, yelling his head off. "Help!" he barked. "My friend's in trouble! Hurry!" His calls produced instant results. About a dozen dogs sitting or walking around came running. "This way!" Toby yelled, leading them back to the pile. "She's right under here!" He sniffed around the pile, trying to find where he'd come out. "Here!" he said, pointing to the opening.

At once the other dogs started in on the pile, pulling away the boxes. At first they pushed and pulled recklessly, till one large mixed-breed took charge and set them to moving one at a time, budging only the ones already loose. Soon they had uncovered Luna, and Toby's stomach tied itself in a knot. She looked even worse than before. Her back legs were caught under a heavy crate. "Ouch," commented one of the dogs. "That can't be very comfortable."

"Come on," said another. "Let's get her out of there." He proceeded to tuck himself into the space and brace the boxes above with his back as the others carefully extracted the pup. Once all were clear, he bolted out as the whole pile collapsed like so many building blocks.

"How'd this happen?" asked someone else. Toby guessed what was coming next and ducked inside what remained of the pile. Right now, questions were the last thing he wanted to face. 'If everyone knows this is my fault, I don't know what I'll do,' he thought.

* * *

Luna had to go to the vet's office. The vet identified her by the tags on her collar and sent his assistant to get her owners. Toby, who had snuck in under the building and was hiding under the floorboards, listened anxiously.

"Is this your dog?" asked the vet.

A man's voice replied, sounding surprised and bewildered. "Yes, she's ours. But what on earth happened to her?"

"I don't know," said the vet. "Some dog came here and wouldn't stop barking, then led us to that empty lot by the harbor. That's where she was, half-buried under a pile of cargo."

"How is she?"

"Both back legs broken, I'm afraid. And there's some damage to her spine."

Toby drew in his breath sharply. 'It's all my fault,' he thought.

"Is she gonna be OK?" asked a little girl, sounding like she might cry.

"Yes, she should be fine. But she'll have to stay here for a few weeks until she recovers."

"Thank you, doctor," sais a man who owned Luna.

As the family left, Toby thought over and over again, 'It's my fault. She's hurt and it's _all my fault!'_

* * *

Boy. In the words of the great philosopher Calvin, there's no situation so bad you can't throw in some guilt and make it even worse.


	3. Healing at the Vet's

**Well, let's see if Toby can get rid of that load of guilt on his conscience. And while we're at it, maybe we can find out a few things about Luna.**

* * *

Some dogs came in to see Luna as well. Toby heard them talking with her above his head. Her parents, an uncle or two, an aunt, and her grandparents all came by to see how she was doing. All of them wanted to know what had happened, but Luna was too tired to give much detail. All she told them was that she'd been playing and got into an accident. _'Oh, man,'_ thought Toby as he listened. _'I can't let word get around that I did this. They'll be so mad at me.'_ Then with a fresh wave of guilt, he thought,_ 'And why shouldn't they, after what I've done? Well, I'll at least get a chance to apologize to her.'_ He listened as one of the dogs got chased out by the vet. 'I'll wait until night, when the people are gone and the place is locked up,' he decided.

During the night, Toby put his plan into action. As soon as the lights were out and the place was silent, he pushed up one of the heating grates in the floor and crept into the room. "Luna?" he called into the darkness. There was no reply. _'She must be asleep,'_ he thought, and part of him wanted to leave it that way. Or, more simply, just leave. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was just a little bit scared of the dark. But his troubled conscience urged him onward. _'I hate to wake her, but I'll never forgive myself if I don't apologize right now.'_ He sniffed around and found his way to her cage. "Hey!" he whispered. "Psst! Luna, wake up. It's me."

Luna stirred and groaned a little. "Wha…?" she asked drowsily.

He felt some relief from the fact that at least now she was awake, but the anxiety of what she might say escalated. "It's me. Toby."

"Toby?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I snuck in. I had to apologize to you, and I couldn't let anyone see me. I… I don't think I could face your family after what I did."

"Aww, c'mon, Toby," she said with a yawn. "It wasn't so bad. Heck, it doesn't even hurt that much."

Toby's eyes had started adjusting to the dim light, and he saw that Luna's back legs were both bandaged so thickly they resembled bowling pins, and an awkward-looking brace was fastened to her back. "What kind of dimwit do you think I am?" he asked.

He couldn't see her face that well, but she tilted her head as if thinking. "How many kinds are there?"

"Luna, this is serious! I could've killed you!"

"Yeah, but you didn't."

Toby dropped his head. He still felt bad, although she was right; he probably would feel worse if he actually had killed her, so maybe that meant that as long as she'd be okay, everything would be fine. "Well… I'm sorry anyway." He looked up hopefully. "Still friends?"

Luna considered. "I don't know. Being your friend so far has been pretty hazardous, y'know?"

"Luna!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking." She wagged her tail weakly. "We're still friends, on one condition."

"Anything."

"Don't just leave me here. They haven't had a lot of business lately, so I'm the only one in the room. It's like solitary confinement. Promise you'll come back every day."

Toby laid his ears back and shook his head. "With visitors around? Not a chance."

"Then drop by when nobody's around, like right now."

Toby nodded. "It's a deal."

Luna yawned. "Well, the doc says I need to get plenty of sleep. Goodnight Toby." She curled up as best she could and went to sleep.

"Goodnight, Luna," said Toby. Using his claws he pried up the grate in the floor and disappeared.

The next day Toby came to the grate. He didn't go in because he could hear that someone was talking to Luna. "He's a big fan," Luna was saying. "Every time we play it's always Balto, Balto, Balto." She giggled. "I still haven't clued him in to my little secret."

Her visitor chuckled. "What, you're embarrassed?" Whoever was talking, it was a male; the voice was cheerful with just a hint of roughness, not in the tone but as if in the vocal chords themselves.

She sounded like she was smiling. "No, I'd just rather not tell him yet."

"I know what you mean," said another voice. This one was female, soft and smooth, almost musical. "It's more fun to keep secrets, isn't it?"

"I hope you haven't been keeping any from me," said the other voice with a hint of a chuckle.

Then a noise was heard in the next room. "Go! I think someone's coming!" said Luna. Toby heard a rush of paws, the scrape of a window opening, some muffled thuds, and then the window slamming shut.

'What was that all about?' he wondered. He considered asking Luna that night, but he didn't want her to know he'd been listening, especially since he hadn't meant to. In the end he chose not to ask, but for the next several days the question played at the back of his mind. After a while the vet said that Luna was well enough to go home, and she and Toby took to playing their usual games, although they had to take it easy while her legs healed. Between taking care not to play too hard and making himself scarce whenever anyone walked by, Toby was too busy to wonder about the mysterious conversation. By the time the casts and brace had come off he had forgotten all about it.

**

* * *

**

And a good thing too. It'll leave his mind free for the other things he'll soon be worrying about.


	4. Dognapped!

**Sorry I took so long to get back to posting. For those who don't know, Luna is out of the hospital and she and Toby are both out of trouble... for the moment.**

**I'm looking at my watch, aaand five...four...three...two...one...**

* * *

Luna rounded a corner at full tilt, spraying snow off to one side like a car hitting a puddle. Toby was fast on her heels.

"Watch out, I'm coming after you!"

"Ha! With the way you run, maybe I should walk! Did you eat a whale for breakfast?"

Luna was just a few feet ahead of him, but at their relative paces it might as well have been miles. She would let him get just within pouncing distance and then pull ahead. He probably could catch her, he thought, if he weren't going easy on her. Even though her casts had come off more than a week ago, he still wanted to take it easy in case...

As if answering his thoughts, Luna tripped with a high-pitched yelp and rolled over, coming to a stop in a mound of snow.

_'Oh no!'_ With a burst of speed on his chubby legs, Toby scampered forward and slid to a halt beside his fallen friend. "Luna!" he barked. "Are you okay?"

The answer came in a faceful of flying snow as Luna smacked the pile into his face. "Better than you are, ice-brain!" she taunted before bolting off.

Toby shook the snow out of his face. _'Alright,'_ he thought, _'If she's in good enough shape for that trick...'_

But just as he poured on a burst of speed, Luna reached a corner and skidded to a stop, leaving a track three times her length. Toby tried to stop too, but ended up crashing behind her and tumbling over as if he had tripped on a log. "Hey, what's the big...?"

A shadow prompted him to look up, and he realized "big" had been exactly the right word. A dog roughly ten times their height loomed over them like a living mountain. His figure, though aged, testified to strength every bit as impressive as his size. His fur was striking black-and-white, and his expression reminded one of Ebenezer Scrooge.

"Either of you kids know where I can find Balto?" he asked.

Toby's tail went between his legs. The stranger gave off an aura of deja vu, as if Toby had seen him or heard about him before. Wherever or whatever it was, one thing seemed certain: he wasn't the Easter bunny. "I don't know," he said.

The dog - he might have been a husky or a malamute, Toby wasn't sure - looked at Luna. "How about you?" he asked. "I understand he visited you at the vet's."

"Say _what?"_ asked Toby, whipping his head toward Luna.

Luna's tail crept between her legs. "Where did you hear a story like that?" she asked.

The malamute shrugged. "Things… get around." He smiled. "After all, it's not every day a big hero like him visits a little girl at the vet."

Luna flicked her eyes between the dumbstuck Toby and the forbidding giant. "Well, I don't think it's really your business anyway," she said.

The stranger frowned deeper and let out a snort like an angry bull. "I can see this is getting us nowhere." And with a quick lunge surprising for his size, he snatched up Luna.

"Hey!" she protested. "Put me down!"

Toby ran up to the stranger. "Put her down," he threatened, "Or I'll beat the tar out of you!"

Unfortunately where Toby excelled in courage, he was sadly lacking in size. The big dog kicked him aside as if he were nothing more than a pebble, slamming into a box several feet away. "Stay out of my business, kid," he snarled, bounding off.

Toby rolled to his feet and tried to pursue despite the pain, but he might as well have been trying to catch the moon. By the time he reached the last turn he had seen the pupnapper make, around the corner of a house, both targets were gone and Luna's protests had already faded from earshot. Toby started to whimper. What could he do now?

"Outta my way, squirt."

Toby jumped to his paws and spun to find Pete standing behind him.

"Pete!" he barked. "You've gotta help me! Some creep just grabbed Luna and took off! I tried to stop him, but he was too fast and got away!"

Pete rolled his eyes. "Right. Look squirt, I ain't got time for games now."

"It's not a game!" Toby was outraged that anyone, even Pete, would doubt him at a time like this. "Luna's in trouble, really!"

"Well, sorry, runt. But I don't know who it was or what he smelled like, so you're on your own." And with that he stepped right over the pup and continued on his way.

"What good is being a purebred if you're too much of a snob to help someone?" Toby shouted at his half-brother's back.

"Get lost," answered Pete without so much as a backward glance.

_'Stupid pig,'_ thought Toby, wishing some boxes would fall on Pete. _'Thinks he's so much better than me cause he's older and I just happen to be part-'_

"Bloodhound!" he exclaimed. He'd never been happy bwfore with that particular half of his makeup, but right at that moment he wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world. He ran back to the alley where he'd been playing with Luna and sniffed at the stranger's footprints. 'Yes!' he thought. 'I've got him now!' And he began to follow his nose.

Meanwhile, Luna was several blocks away and still going. "Put me down, you big jerk!" she yipped, trying to sound threatening. "Let me go or I'll bite you!"

"Hush up and keep your teeth to yourself, princess," snarled her kidnapper, "Or I'll tear you apart and leave you for the birds."

Luna could tell by his voice that he meant it. She gulped. _'Where is he taking me?'_ she thought. _'And what does this have to do with-?'_

She was cut off mid-thought as her body swung wide from the momentum of a sharp turn. Her abductor dashed down a blind alley, and a moment later Luna found herself dumped unceremoniously into an empty garbage can. She shook herself off and was startled by the sound of the stranger's breathing above her, amplified by the metal walls. "Now you can bark," he said. Baring his teeth for emphasis, he added, "In fact, I strongly suggest that you do. Yell for help, and keep on doing it. I'll be going now, but I'll be close by. And I'd better hear you." And he disappeared.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Let me out of here!" She tried to knock the can over, but snow was piled up all around it and it wouldn't move. "Let me out!" she barked. "Help! Anyone? Get me out of here!"

She barked and barked for what felt like hours before she heard a voice answering. "What is it? Who's there?"

"Help!" she called back. "I'm here, in the garbage!"

"Han on!" Seconds later a dog's face appeared over the edge of the trash can. Scruffy brown fur, kind yellow eyes. She would know that face anywhere. "Luna?" he asked. "What are you doing in there?"

"Some creep grabbed me and threw me in here."

"What?" he asked, hooking his paws over the rim of the can. He pulled, and the can tipped over. "Sorry about the rough landing," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, she's fine," said a cruel voice from behind them. "But you won't be, lobo."

Both of them spun around to see an all-too-familiar dog standing in the entrance to the alleyway. Luna recognized him as her kidnapper, but Balto recognized him as...

"Steele," he growled. "First you kill kids, now you use them as bait."

"It's time to finish a little old business," growled Steele, stepping closer.

Balto picked up Luna and pushed her into a hole leading under a house. "Get out of here!" he ordered. Then he turned and launched himself at Steele.

* * *

**Okay, I know some of you readers out there know this story, but are any first-timers' brains exploding yet? What's going on here? Why did Steele use Luna to lure Balto? How the heck does Luna know the most famous dog in Nome? And where the heck is Toby?**

**Please comment. I'll be cycling through stories to post more, but the sooner you comment, the sooner I'll post more. And please, those in the know, no spoilers.**


	5. One Problem Becomes Many

**Gosh, it's been a while. Now where were we? Oh yeah, Balto rescued Luna only to discover that it was a trap by Steele, who somehow knew exactly who would come to the rescue. Now Luna's doing a vanishing act while the grown-ups talk - with their teeth.**

**And come to think of it, what happened to the star?**

* * *

Toby tracked Luna's kidnapper through the streets of Nome. He almost lost the scent several times, but each time he managed to pick up the trail again. He finally tracked the smell to an alley. He listened. He could tell a fight was in progress, but who was fighting? He peered around the corner and saw two dogs. One he recognized as the kidnapper, and the other had to be none other than… "Balto?" he asked in wonder.

"You ruined me!" raged the stranger. "I was the lead dog until you came along and got in the way!"

"You were willing to let innocent children die just to satisfy your pride," Balto answered. "I didn't ruin you, Steele. You did."

"Steele?" Toby wondered aloud. 'So that's why he looks so familiar! He's just like in Mom's stories!' Toby watched dumbstruck as dog and wolf-dog battled it out. Steele managed to get a grip on Balto and threw him against the wall. Balto sank to the ground and lay motionless.

Steele stepped forward and placed a paw on Balto's neck, pinning him down. "Now," he growled, savoring the moment as he practically frothed at the mouth, "To finish it."

"No!" Toby ran forward and did the only thing he could think of. He jumped into the air and clamped his jaws hard on Steele's tail. Steele let out a howl of rage and spun around, trying to dislodge the pup, but Toby held on tight until Steele slammed him against the wall, jarring him loose.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the half-pint hero," snarled Steele. "I'll teach you to get in my way, you little flea-bitten-" But that was all he had a chance to say before he was knocked aside. Balto had gotten his second wind and was on the offensive. The surprise onslaught drove Steele out into the street.

"There he is!" someone shouted. A whole pack of dogs headed for Steele with fire in their eyes. Steele sized up the situation and ran for his life with the pack close on his heels. Toby ran behind them, but again he was too slow to catch up.

"Toby, are you alright?" asked a voice.

Toby looked around and saw that familiar creamy orange face. "Luna!" he yelled, running over to his friend. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Where'd that pack come from?"

Luna stood with her limbs stiff and shaking from the shock of her abduction and Balto's near-demise. "I'm fine. He wasn't trying to hurt me, he just wanted to use me as bait to get Balto." She shrugged. "I decided since everybody's heard of him, somebody should know he was back in town.

"I never thought it would come to this," said a female voice. Toby and Luna looked up and saw a malamute / chow mix standing next to them and staring off in the direction Steele and the pack had gone.

Luna wagged her tail. "Hi mom. This is Toby, the friend I've been telling you about."

Luna's mother looked at Toby. "Oh, yes. The one who put you in the vet's office."

Toby backed up and his tail went between his legs. "I didn't mean to do it, honest."

Luna's mother smiled. "It's all right. I know it was an accident. My daughter has told me a lot about you. I'm glad I finally have the chance to meet you face-to-face."

Balto joined them. "Is everyone alright?" Everyone nodded. "Well that's the first good news since Steele showed up. What happened back there anyway? I mean, I remember him standing over me, but then he was mad at you for some reason." He was looking at Toby.

Toby wilted under the gaze of his hero. It wasn't that he feared Balto, but to have the famous hero himself even look at him left him feeling small and unimportant by comparison. "Um, well, sir, I saw you fighting, and I sort of bit him on the tail."

This brought a chorus of laughter from Luna and Balto. "You didn't really, did you?" giggled Luna.

Toby nodded, his face turning bright red. Then he noticed that Luna's mother wasn't laughing. She was just standing there with her head and tail drooping. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back to Nome."

"What do you mean, Mom?" asked Luna curiously.

In response, she turned away. "Come with me, Luna. There's something I need to tell you."

As mother and daughter walked away, Toby looked up at Balto. "You were amazing," he said. "The way you took on Steele like that was totally awesome."

Balto shrugged. "It wasn't the first time, and I'm afraid it won't be the last. Steele's hated me since before the diphtheria epidemic."

"Before?" asked Toby. "I thought he was mad at you for getting the medicine to Nome and showing him for the stinker he was."

Balto shook his head. "That just added to it. He's hated me ever since I first set foot in town."

"Why?"

"Because I'm part wolf."

"Why would he hate you for that? I think it's neat."

Balto laughed a little. "Well, most dogs around here hate me for being a half-breed. Or at least they used to."

Toby looked at the ground, thoughtful. "Yeah, my brother- well, my half-brother, really- is kind of the same way." He hadn't meant to mention Pete, but now the whole story came pouring out. "His dad was a husky, like my mom, but he died and then mom met my dad, who's a bloodhound. So now Pete thinks he's so much better than me just because I'm a mix." He looked up at Balto. "I always thought if I were a wolf-dog like you everyone would respect me."

Balto shrugged. "I'm afraid you're wrong about that. Being part wolf doesn't make you popular at all. I can't tell you how many times I've had to break up fights that started because someone was picking on my kids for being part wolf, and they're less wolf than I am." He sat in silence for a moment and allowed this to sink in. "A friend of mine once told me that there are journeys a dog can't make alone, but a wolf can. Maybe it's the same for mixed-breed dogs."

Toby thought about that. All his life he had wanted to be half wolf like Balto. It had never occurred to him that maybe being half bloodhound was good enough. "You know, you're right. When Steele grabbed Luna, I couldn't keep up with him. But I was able to sniff him out and track him down that way."

"And you showed up just in time, too," said Balto, ruffling the fur on top of Toby's head. "Gotta go, but I'll see if I can help you out with your brother one of these days."

Toby's jaw dropped. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Balto smiled. "I'd be happy to."

"Wow! Thanks! I've gotta find Luna. I can't wait to tell her about this! See ya!" And he dashed off with his tail whipping back and forth like a flag.

* * *

Toby headed for Luna's home and found her talking with her mother. Not wanting to interrupt, he sat outside and waited. And while he was sitting there, he couldn't really help overhearing what was being said.

"I still don't believe it!" Luna was saying. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to tell you because… well, because I wanted to forget it myself." Luna's mother sighed. "I shouldn't have come back to Nome. I should have known Steele would come back and there'd be trouble."

"So why did you come back?" Luna asked.

"Because of your father."

"Oh, I see." Luna sounded close to tears. "And I guess he's also the reason you didn't tell me that the dog who almost destroyed Nome is my grandfather!"

Toby's eyes widened. 'What?' he wondered.

"I know how you feel," Luna's mother said. "After all, he's my father too."

Toby ran off in confusion. 'This can't be real, this can't be real, THIS CAN'T BE REAL!' he thought over and over again.

"I know it's not a pleasant thought," Luna's mother continued. "You have a proud heritage too, though."

"Yeah, I know!" snapped Luna. "I've got one grandpa who saved the town because my other grandpa just about destroyed it!"

* * *

Once again, Toby tried to pretend he hadn't heard the conversation. He still played with Luna, but now every time he looked at her all he could think of was how much she looked like Steele- although most of it was in his mind. The only real resemblance was her sapphire-blue eyes. Luna was distracted too, often lost in her own thoughts, but it was inevitable: she noticed that something was wrong. "What's the matter with you?" she asked him one day.

"What?" asked Toby.

"You were looking at me weird," she said. "And you were showing your teeth."

"Oh." Toby stared very quickly at the ground.

"Toby, what's eating you?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah right. You tell me this instant what the problem is!"

"Well," he began, "You remember after Steele kidnapped you, your mom took you off to talk with you?"

An odd look crossed Luna's face. "Don't remind me."

"Well, see, I had a really great talk with Balto and he said he'd help me with Pete and all. I went to tell you and sort of… accidentally heard what you and your mom were talking about."

Luna looked worried. "You did?"

"Yeah. I really didn't mean to, honest. It just…"

"Happened, yeah." Luna sighed.

Toby knew he should probably stop, but the words kept coming. "It just freaks me out, talking to someone who's grandpa has been Nome's most wanted since 1925."

"Yeah, well try actually _being_ that someone!" Luna retorted. "Not to mention talking to someone who's eavesdropped when you and your mom have been discussing family issues!"

"Luna, I told you it was an accident!"

"Yeah, sure!" She nearly exploded. She took a few deep breaths and started to cry. "I'm sorry, Toby. I shouldn't be so mad at you. It's just… well, I don't really know who I am anymore."

Toby nodded. He wasn't used to seeing Luna cry. "Maybe I should go," he suggested.

Luna turned to go back home. "Yeah, I'm sorry. See you, Toby."

* * *

**And on that cheerful little note, we'll take a break. Please review!**

**P.S. There will be a reduction in my activity due to publication efforts on an actual book.**


	6. Game Over For Now

**Thanks for the feedback on last chapter. Now you'll finally get to find out how the dynamic dog duo get back together. (Whyat, you didn't think I'd leave them apart in misery, did you?)**

* * *

It probably goes without saying that Toby and Luna saw little and said nothing of each other for the next few days. It was harder than you can likely imagine for Toby to reconcile that his best friend, the bright, frisky girl who could run and play as well as any boy, was descended from a cold-blooded killer. The same, for that matter, who had tried to kill him and his hero.

Without his playmate, frolic lost its savor. The storage lot was no longer exciting. The crawlspaces and back ways their imaginations had filled with all kinds of adventure and mystique now held only dust and trash. So he would stay at home slumped by the fire, or spend his days sitting out in the yard, where his eyes would train themselves on the distance, on nothing at all while his vision probed the depths of his own mind and his ears rang with the echoes of sounds from another lifetime.

"_Come on, Toby, hurry up!"_

There they were, racing around the lot with reckless abandon.

"_I'm just giving you a head start to make it fair!"_

He could see them chasing, pouncing, rolling together in the snow without a care in the world. How he longed to hold onto these happy thoughts. But that dark cloud of a memory, so familiar that he had given up resisting it, fell upon those happy memories like a wolf on its prey.

"_Well, well, well, if it isn't the half-pint hero."_

"_The dog who almost destroyed Nome is my grandfather!"_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_I'll teach you to get in my way you little...!"_

"Toby?" The gentle voice intruding on his troubled mind was like a cold hand to someone in the midst of a nightmare.

"AAAAH!" he yelped, leaping a good three times his height into the air.

"Son, it's only me."

Gasping wildly, Toby turned to find himself nose-to-nose with his father. "Oh," he panted. "Oh, it's just you, Dad."

Rex nodded. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I was... in the area and I thought I should pay you and Terry a visit. She said you'd be out here."

Toby knew it was unusual for his father to be out and about in Nome. He must have had a reason for coming.

"I've noticed you stopped playing with your friend Luna."

Toby shrugged, trying to act as if everything was normal. "So?"

Rex sighed. "So I decided to talk to her parents to see what was wrong, and apparently it's a problem on both ends."

Toby nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Rex's already droopy ears and jowls drooped even further with disapproval. "Son, it's no more right for you to ignore her just because of her grandfather than it is for Pete to bother you for being half bloodhound."

"I know, but…" Toby shivered. "It creeps me out, that's all."

"Well, there's more to the story than you realize. That's why I brought someone to talk to you."

Toby turned around, expecting to see Luna or her mother. But instead he saw a strange husky coming around the shed. His red fur had a creamy undertone that lent it an odd, bright appearance. "Hi, Toby," the new dog said. "I'm Copper, Luna's dad."

Toby nodded and looked at the ground. _'Great,'_ he thought. _'A talk with the girl's dad. This always means trouble.'_

"You've already heard about Steele being Luna's grandfather," Copper went on. "And I'm sure you realize that it's not her fault."

Toby nodded. "Did you know who her mom was before this whole thing?"

Rex balked. "Son that is a very rude question-"

"No, I understand," Copper interrupted. "And yes, Toby, I knew. I knew about her before she ever came to Nome. The plain fact is I knew- or had guessed, at least- before she figured out _my_ secret."

"Your secret?" asked Toby, pricking up his ears.

Copper chuckled. "Well, it's not a secret exactly. It's just that folks don't make such a big deal about it as they used to." He put a paw down in front of him and lifted it, revealing a larger-than-normal pawprint.

Toby stared at the mark. "You're part wolf?" he asked.

"Yep. You already know about Taya's father. Well, meet mine."

Toby stared first with intrigue, then astonishment as a familiar hybrid stepped out from behind the shed. "I believe you two know each other," added Copper.

"Hello, Toby," Balto greeted with a cheerful grin. "Save any more heroes lately?"

The pup couldn't speak, couldn't think for a long moment. At last his wide-open mouth. "You're his... and he's Luna's..." he shook his head. "You're Luna's _other_ grandpa?"

Balto chuckled. "Yeah, I know it's kind of strange. It made me feel like Lord Montague until I got used to it."

"Who?"

"Oh, someone in a story the humans tell. Never mind." Balto shook his head as if he couldn't believe he was actually talking about the whole thing. "I never imagined my grandkids would have any connection with Steele, but people are always judging me because of my parents, so I guess I've got no place judging anyone else. And you know, Taya's a good dog. You'd never know she was Steele's daughter."

Toby's head was spinning. "Let me get this straight. _You're_ Copper's dad, and _Steele_ is Luna's mom's dad?"

Copper nodded. "That's right."

Toby sat down trying to stop the world from spinning. "So what does that make Luna?"

All three grown-ups' faces took on very serious expressions. "Very confused," alto answered. "Toby, I know it may not seem like it, but you're in an important position right now. You and your father are the only ones outside our family who know Taya's secret. We didn't want it to get out at all, because if it did she would be chased out of town. But now we have to trust you, because we need your help."

Now in spite of his blunders, Toby wasn't entirely ignorant. The realization that members of Balto's family were depending on him had a steadying effect on the pup. "So what am I supposed to do?" he asked quietly.

"Well first, it would mean a lot to me and my dad if you wouldn't let this mess up your friendship with Luna. And please don't let it get around. Try not to even think about it when you and Luna are playing. Just think of her like you did before this whole mess started, if you can. Believe me, it's no easier for her than it is for you, and she'll need a good friend while she's getting used to this."

Toby nodded. "Okay," he said. He stood up. "In fact, I think I'll go see if she wants to play right now." And he took off.

"Well, I'm glad that's over with," said Copper.

Toby found Luna waiting for him. "Hi," he said, not sure what else to say.

Luna smiled. "I was hoping you'd come by."

There was a long silence. Toby stirred the ground with a paw. "Your dad came and talked to me about the whole… you know."

Luna looked at him hopefully. "So, it doesn't bother you having a friend who's related to Steele?" she asked.

"Well, it _is_ kind of strange," he admitted. She frowned, and he quickly added, "But it's your business anyway, not mine. Besides, you're related to Balto too, which is kind of cool."

Luna blushed, then drooped slightly. "I didn't want you to find out that part either," she confessed.

Every part of Toby went stiff. "You mean you knew it all this time and you never told me? Why?"

"Well, like you said, it's my business. Besides, you're a Balto nut, and I don't want to be friends with someone who only likes me because of who my grandpa is. I want a friend who'll like me for me. We have a saying in our family that your parents define _what_ you are, not _who_ you are."

"Well, I guess that makes sense, but still…" Toby trailed off, then shook his head. "Ahh, forget it." He lowered his chin to his paws and wagged his tail. "So, you wanna play? How 'bout I'll be Balto and you be…" he stopped at a look from Luna. "What?" he asked.

"How about you be you, and I'll be me?" she suggested.

"Well… okay," he agreed. "And I won't tell anyone your secret. Just you, me, your folks, and my dad."

'_And now,'_ thought an all-too-familiar malamute as he crept away unnoticed through the shadows, _'Me.'_

* * *

**To Be Continued in Toby Part 2...**

Balto, Steele © Universal Studios

Copper, Taya © redwolf03

Terry, Rex, Toby, Pete, Luna © Dragon Tamer


	7. Announcement

This is not so much a new chapter as just a notice to anyone monitoring this story. Toby Part 2 is now up. Enjoy! :)


End file.
